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Prenatal Rhogam:  A Complicated Choice



It is well known that mother and baby have two distinct blood systems.
Mother and baby often have two different blood types depending upon genetic
contributions made by both mother and father.  These two blood systems do
not mix.  The placenta allows nutritional components and hormones to enter
the blood stream of the fetus, and of course, any drugs introduced into the
mother.  But the two blood systems do not mix.

For thousands of years, mothers have given birth unassisted by medical
technology.  There was never a problem with blood incompatability.  Now, in
this new age of medical intervention, including surgical abortion, prenatal
testing such as amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling, and giving
birth in hospitals where procedures such as cord traction and cesarean
section practically insure there will be some kind of blood mixing,
suddenly blood incompatabilities between mother and child have been
discovered.

In 13% of the population, the mother happens to be Rh- and the father Rh+.
This is not an emergency in and of itself.  In the 1970's an inoculation
was developed, made from the blood of Rh- mothers.  This substance was to
be injected into mothers to immunize them against the blood of their
babies.  When a mother gives birth naturally, without medical intervention,
there is little risk of the mother and baby's blood supply mixing.  They
are two separate systems.  But in a system of "managed" birth, where there
are often interventions which can mix the blood supply, a case for this
inoculation seems to have developed.  You see, when you have amniocentesis
or chorionic villus sampling, your womb is being invaded by a sharp tool
which CAN cause bleeding.  When a woman has abortions, the blood of the
fetus can be mixed with her own.  When a woman has a cesarean section,
internal fetal monitoring, cord traction to remove the placenta, or
scraping of the uterus to remove placenta pieces, this mixing can occur.
These circumstances did not exist years ago.  These kind of procedures were
never performed.  So the Rh- problem is a problem that has largely been
created by modern medicine and its birth interventions.

According to the logic(?) of this, just as a person who is given blood that
is the wrong type will have a reaction to that blood, the woman whose blood
mixes with that of her child will have a reaction.  Her body will sense the
foreign blood and will make antibodies to destroy any blood cells like the
ones detected.  In other words, it makes antibodies to kill the blood of
any future babies with that blood type.

The best way to avoid blood mixing is to have a homebirth with no medical
interference of any kind.  If you allow your placenta to be expelled
naturally, you will probably have a more heavy blood flow for a longer
period of time in order to cleanse the uterus.  At this time, any placenta
pieces which may have been retained will be expelled.  There is no need to
invade and violate the inner sanctum of the uterus.

Reading the package insert on Rhogam is a very educational experience.
There are many risks to taking the shot, including anaphalactic shock.
Damage to the immune system can also be permanent.  Rhogam is made from
human blood products which can harbor viruses that cannot be screened out.
With HIV and other harmful viruses out there, it is outrageous to think of
exposing yourself to potential risk of getting it from a Rhogam shot.  It
also is preserved in a mercury derivative, an extremely dangerous substance
even in small quantities.  The package insert also says there are risks to
the immune system of the mother or child if they have allergies.  Who among
us doesn't have an allergy to something?

There has been some research done which suggests that if one does NOT have
amniocentesis or cesarean section, and births without cutting the cord
until the placenta has delivered itself with no cord traction or pulling,
this is the best way to prevent blood contamination.

Most physicians will tell you that you can never change your Rh- status.
But there are some women who have done it by changing their diets and
taking certain herbs.  The women in question were known to be Rh- and when
they went to the doctor for a routine test, it was found that they were
suddenly Rh+.  The doctor is the one that discovered this.  It is not known
how long it took for this change to occur, but the women were following
blood cleansing procedures such as:

1.  Changing their diet and eliminating all sugar, white flour, caffeine,
sodas,
     processed foods, and alcohol.
2.  Using a lower bowel tonic and occasional colonics to keep the bowel
clear.
3.  Use of herbs to cleanse the blood such as:

     A.  Periwinkle
     B.  Red Raspberry Leaf Tea
     C.  A tea made from red clover blossoms, chaparral, licorice root,
poke root,
          peach bark, Oregon grape root, stillingia, cascara sagrada,
sarsparilla,
          prickly ash bark, burdock root, and buckthorn bark.
     D.  A few capsules of:  goldenseal root, blessed thistle, cayenne,
cramp bark,
          false unicorn root, ginger, red raspberry leaves, squaw vine and
uva ursi.
          And a few capsules of:  black cohosh, sarsparilla, ginseng,
licorice, false
          unicorn, holy thistle and squaw vine.

4.  Also, included in the diet blood builders, such as grape juice,
molasses, beets,
     and others.

I am simply sharing all this with you because I believe it is dangerous to
take the Rhogam shot.  If you are  tested and are told you need the shot,
please do not rush into this decision.  I believe that you have other
options besides permanently damaging your immune system.  They used to
administer the shot within 72 hours after birth.  Now, they want to
administer it to all pregnant women who are Rh- without even testing them
to see if they need it.  I would not accept the shot without testing to see
if I needed it.  And if they said I did need it, I would do everything in
my power to avoid it.  Of course, if you refuse the shot, your doctor may
refuse to attend your birth.  But there are other options for birth besides
physician attended birth.  Also, the hospital emergency room and the doctor
on call on the labor and delivery floor are required to give you care if
you show up.

What is the bottom line in all this?  As we take a step further in
technological advancement, we are getting farther and farther away from
trust in our bodies, farther from the knowledge of how to have safe and
healthy birth, and closer to permanently endangering our health and the
health of our children.  We do not know the effect these substances will
have on the reproductive health of the children we carry while taking these
drugs.  But we do know that it is possible to have a health pregnancy and
birth without taking the Rhogam shot.  I am personally aquainted with women
who have not taken the shot, and have suffered no ill effects.

Exercise your right of informed choice.  Do your own research, and don't be
pushed one way or the other.  Consult your inner wisdom, and only do what
feels right to you.
 

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Copyright 2001 Judie C. Rall and The Center for Unhindered Living